Tuesday, September 11, 2018

This
day,Sept. 11, is remembered World over
for various reasons ! -this post is
slightly different (from my posts on this day in previous years !!) The man, the fighter, the poet Mahakavi
Subrahmanya Bharathiyar.He was a Genius, Extrovert, Patriot,
Poet, Thinker, man who dreamed beyond his time, an eternal
Optimist, man with die-hard spirit, motivator, man capable of uniting great
minds, natural leader – all rolled one. Most unfortunate thing was his age – his life was too short -he
lived for only 39 years and passed away 97 years ago.

He lived
in Thulasinga Perumal Kovil Street (TP Koil Street) during his last years – he
was a tenant in a small portion (single room) in the house seen here (Sri Kannan Sri Jayanthi
purappadu)

Bharati’s father, Chinnasamy
Iyer, was an erudite Tamil Scholar and skilled in modern engineering and
mathermatics. He had tremendous influence in the court of the Maharaja, and so
Bharati was able to mingle with the scholars at the court. Bharati has
described in his Chinna Sankaran Kathai, how he was influenced by the
Ettayapuram court. The title ‘Bharati’, a name of the Goddess of Knowledge, was
conferred upon him at the age of eleven by the court, in approval of his
ability to compose poems on any subject, at any moment. He surprised even older
poets of his generation with his readiness to compose.

Englishmen in this country are not popularly supposed to offer much encouragement to advocates of Indian freedom, venturing to give wholesome and useful advice to the Government. And yet it is such advice that should be prized most by the Government. And the thoughts that true patriots are thinking today will materialize into national facts tomorrow. Those who desire to cultivate friendly relations with India must learn to respect and, if possible, immediately satisfy the legitimate and reasoned demands of Indians seers and creators. And the first thing that modern India demands of England to-day is that none may interfere with free speech in India. Free speech is the truest ally of every sensible government. When you stifle men’s voices, you embitter and harden their hearts. And this world is based on the mind: “Thoughts are things.”Of course Englishmen know these things quite as well as we do. But, all the same, we sometimes feel constrained to restate them, “lest they forget.”

At the age of
seven, Subbiah started writing poems in Tamil. When he was eleven, he wrote in
such a way that even learned men praised him for his great knowledge and skill.
The boy who was till then referred to as
“Ettayapuram Subbiah” came henceforth to be known as “Bharathi”, and later he
was respectfully referred to as “Bharathiar” by nationalists and by millions of
Tamil lovers all over the globe. In June 1897, Bharathi was hardly fifteen when
his marriage took place, and his child-bride was Chellammal. Bharathi left for Benaras (Kasi). He spent
there the next two years with his aunt Kuppammal and her husband Krishna Sivan.
Speedily gaining a fair knowledge of Sanskrit, Hindi and English, he duly
passed with credit the Entrance Examination of the Allahabad University. The
Banaras stay brought about a tremendous change in Bharathi’s personality.
Outwardly, he sported a moustache and a Sikh turban and acquired a bold swing
in his walk.

Many years of
Bharathi’s life were spent in the field of journalism, Bharathi, as a young man
began his career as a journalist and as a sub-editor in “Swadesamitran” in
November 1904... .. and his prime of
life was spent running away from the British ensuring that the fire for freedom
was stoked with his powerful words.“India”
saw the light of the day in May, 1906. It declared as its motto the three
slogans of the French Revolution, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. It blazed a
new trail in Tamil Journalism. In order to proclaim its revolutionary ardour,
Bharathi had the weekly printed in red paper. “India” was the first paper in
Tamil Nadu to publish political cartoons. He also published and edited a few
other journals like “Vijaya”.

In May 1907, Bipin
Chandra Pal visited Madras and gave six lectures on the Triplicane Beach every
day evening from 3 to 8. These lectures brought out a perceptible change in the
attitude of the people. Bharathiyar wrote in his India on 11 May 1907, that the
visit and speeches of Pal had cast a miraculous effect on the otherwise
slumbering people of Madras. After the visit in every street and in every place
the talk was only about Nationalism and the first utterance was Vande Mataram.

Bharati,
by nature, was too impatient to wait for good things to happen or evil things
to be destroyed in their own time. Great people’s personalities are impacted by
the qualities of his ancestors too, his birth-place and the surroundings in
which he is brought up.After living in
exile, Bharathi came back to Madras vigorously determined to fight for India’s
freedom.Life and people perhaps were
never kind to the sublime man.It is
sadly read that Bharati’s efforts at running magazines stopped before the year
1910 came to a close. The next five years were difficult years for the poet. He
tried to publish his poems in book-form.

On August 4,1921,
he wrote an article in “ Swadesamitran ” describing his Erode visit, and on the
problem of conquering death and living in eternity. In a poem addressed to the
god of death, Yama, (“காலனுக்கு உரைத்தது”)
Bharati wrote that he would never let death come anywhere near him, and that he
would kick death with his foot should death dare approach him.

History
written by British has it that the elephant of Sri Parthasarathi temple
trampled him to death ~ though an incident of elephant brushing Mahakavi
Subramanya Barathiyar did occur, he lived for more than 6 months after that
reported incident – and most probably died to failing health, derived from the
boot blows and harsh treatment meted out in prison by British authorities –
which is comfortably hidden in history.

மஹாகவி வாழ்ந்த மண்ணில்
வாழ்வதை பெருமையாக கருதும் - பாரதியின் பற்றாளன்

திருவல்லிக்கேணி வாழ்
ஸ்ரீனிவாசன் சம்பத்குமார்

Tidbits :

1.I have been posting fervently on Mahakavi
Subrahmaniya Barathi– for some years
now stating hepassed away on September
11, 1921, at the young age of 39. It was
on the night of 11th (1.30)and technically 12th Sept going by English calendar.Remember seeing
the plaque in front of the Bharathiyar Memorial at TP Kovi Street,
Triplicanealso etchedas 11th Sept, 1921 – but a couple of years
back– it stands apparently altered as
12th Sept. 1921.!!!!

3.Inthe interesting mystery novel – ‘False Impression’,by English author Jeffrey Archer ….the story occurs mostly in UK and partly USA
& Romania,but traverses through
Continents.In the engrossing tale on a
masterpiece artwork, the knowledge of the artwork resonates quite heavily.The queer newangle is that upon the occurrence of Sept.11, some people went missing,
presumed dead and some who were alive too, chose tomake this an opportunity !

Barathi
when first visited Madras lived in Thambu Chetty Street & had office in
Armenian Street.He was to live in
Triplicane, fled to Pondy, andhis last
years, after return from Pondy exile were spent at Thiruvallikkeni.